For those struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, it often feels like we have to carry the weight, fight the good fight and be strong. While all that may sound good, even Biblical, I believe it’s one of the key reasons why we can’t get free. We believe we have to do all of the work.

Does any of this sound familiar?

If I was just strong enough, I can beat this.

If I try harder, I can overcome this fear.

If I can find the right book (doctor, website, resource), then I can beat this.

If I just had the willpower, I can be free.

The problem with these statements is that the burden for freedom is upon you. In fact, believing it’s up to you may be the very reason you can’t get free. Let me explain.

Who does the Covering?

In the Garden of Eden before sin happened, Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. There was no fear, no sadness, no lack of purpose. Life was good. Everything they needed, God provided. He was right there, walking with them, talking with them and being their God. He was their Source for everything. Then, sin happened.

Once sin came into the world, Adam and Eve’s first response was to hide and cover themselves. So, “they made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7).

Instead of God being their sole provider, now they felt responsible for covering themselves. They carried the weight of something that was not their responsibility. Sin does that. Sin makes you feel like you are the one responsible for making things right and getting things done.

Where does the Power come from?

The power to get free from fear, anxiety, and panic attacks will not come from more willpower, more knowledge, nor more effort. The power to get free comes from God and God alone through Christ. As you surrender your efforts and strength to God, he will move through the power of this Holy Spirit to set you free.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6b).

The power of God happens when we surrender to it. If we convince ourselves that we must be strong and do this ourselves, then God graciously steps aside and lets us try. He’s a gentleman. He will not force you to do something you don’t want. It has to be our choice.

How do you Surrender?

Surrender is not easy, because we are often programmed (from our culture and from our upbringing) that surrender is weak. We are taught that we must be strong, that we are in charge of our own destiny, and that we are completely responsible for our fate. While there may be some truth in those statements, the key to surrender is learning how to let go of control. To surrender, you have to give up control to God.

Here are three ways to surrender:

Learn to focus on today. Jesus encourages us not to live in tomorrow, but live in today. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34). If you find yourself worrying about tomorrow, ask God to help you focus on today.

Don’t rely on your own knowledge or understanding.Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” You don’t have to figure everything out. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Rather, trust God.

Don’t give into the fear. Fear will scream, yell and roar, but you don’t have to give in. Don’t let fear tell you what to do. I have found that facing my fears head on has been wonderful in my path to freedom. “You are a slave to whatever controls you” (2 Peter 2:19).

As you learn to surrender your life to God in Christ, the more peace you will experience.

Prayer: Father, I’ve been doing all the work in this pursuit of freedom, and I’m tired. I need you to take over. I surrender to you. I give you control. Teach me how to completely surrender my life to you in Christ.

Our brains are amazing! At a mere three and half pounds, our little organic computer consists of more than 10 billion neurons communicating with one another through more than 10 trillion synaptic connections.

The electrical activity in your brain is incredible. It’s estimated that your brain processes 100 million bits of information per second, but its reticular activating system deletes 98% of the information that is not necessary. Of the remaining 2 million bits of information that are allowed to pass through per second, your brain only allows 5 to 9 pieces of information to surface to your conscious awareness. That is how decisions are made, memories are remembered and situations are experienced.

The electrical signals moving through your brain form patterns or neural nets based on a variety of input like trauma, education, emotion, memories, and life experiences. In most cases, we are not conscious of these these neural nets that are programmed into our brains. “Someone or something installed these for you. And since your whole sense of reality is rooted in these neural-nets, it follows that your whole sense of reality at any given moment has been largely determined by other people and outside events.” (Escaping the Matrix, p. 34.)

For those struggling with anxiety, panic attacks or fear, traumatic neural nets are often the cause. Something we experienced or learned as a child often triggers these neural nets into a fear response. As soon as we get into a situation that triggers that “stronghold”, our body and mind switch to autopilot, and fear rises up within us. And for most, it happens subconsciously, and we don’t have time to respond and think logically through the experience. It becomes a reaction instead of an action.

Initially, this may not sound very hopeful, but there is hope. God has given us the power to remove those unhealthy neural nets and replace them with Godly programming. He not only wants us to be free, he has given us his Holy Spirit to help us walk into freedom.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

God would not instruct us to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind” if it weren’t possible. It is possible! We can work through these negative, destructive patterns of thinking and replace them with Godly ways of thinking. Those triggers of fear, anxiety and panic attacks can be removed and torn down. We can learn to take every thought captive. God has given us spiritual weapons to tear down these strongholds (patterns of thinking):

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

This week, ask God to help you recognize any negative or destructive “patterns of thinking”, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into truth, because you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32).

Prayer: Father, show me any wrong patterns of thinking and give me the power of Christ to tear down those strongholds.

I’m starting a new series called Renewing the Mind. This battle with fear, panic attacks and anxiety is waged primarily in the mind. Through years of improper programming, the enemy has been able to influence our way of thinking through bad experiences, negative words and lies. God wants us to renew our minds, to change the way we think.

Our brains are these amazing, complex creations, and it’s only in recent years that scientists have truly begun to understand these biological neural networks. God created our brains to adjust, adapt and learn. Sadly, the enemy knows this and has used it against us since the fall.

I’m reading a great book right now called “Escaping the Matrix: Setting Your Mind Free to Experience Real Life in Christ“. The book is written by pastor, Greg Boyd and neuroscientist, Al Larson. In it, they describe the wonderful complexities of the human mind and brain, but also share how the enemy has used our own mind against us. That’s why we are reminded in scripture to renew our minds:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

“Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.” (Ephesians 4:23).

While that may feel impossible for those struggling with crippling fear, anxiety and panic attacks, it is possible to change the way you think and the way you respond. God would not instruct us to do something that we can’t do.

Let’s start with the word “repent”. Take a moment and think about “repent”. What does it mean to you? Use it in a sentence that you hear often. Mentally document your personal definition of “repent”. Does it sound something like this:

Repent of your sins.

Repent and turn away from bad decisions.

When you sin, you need to repent.

Stop sinning and start doing good.

Any of those sound familiar? Well, honestly, those are a wrong use of the word “repent”.

Repentance, in the original language, is not turning away from our sins; yet, it’s what we’ve been taught for years. In fact, when you look through the New Testament and the 32 verses that mention the word “repent” in some form, nowhere does it say “Repent of your sins”. It does say:

Repent, and believe (Mark 1:15)

Repent, and be baptized (Acts 2:38)

Repent, and be converted (Acts 3:19)

Repent, and turn to God (Acts 26:20)

The word “repent” in the New Testament is the Greek word metanoeo. It’s a combination of two words:

meta: to change (like metamorphosis)

noieo: the mind, our “thinker” (like the word knowledge)

“To repent” literally means “to change the way you think”.

When Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17), he was saying, “Stop thinking the old way and think a new way, the way God wants you to think.” He was simply saying, “Think differently.”

There is a new way to think about the Kingdom of heaven and God’s plan for us. That will be the focus on our next few messages: how to repent (how to think differently).

Prayer: Father, help me to think differently. Help me to renew my mind and open my heart to the truth of what you want to speak into my life.

My book, Season of Grace shares my journey from crippling panic attacks to a life of freedom. I share many of the practical, emotional and spiritual steps I took. You can order it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About

For most of my life, I battled crippling anxiety and panic attacks. For the longest time, I had no hope. My world was closing in all around me. Today, I am free and living a life full of peace and abundance. Freedom is real. You can be totally set free for the bondage of fear. [Read my story]